Beyond Caring
by DemonSaya
Summary: Kagome see's Inuyasha kissing Kikyou and begins being increasingly hostile towards him. When she accidentally spills her feelings in the middle of a fight, Inuyasha thinks it's smooth sailing, untill she tells him, after the mission is over...she's going


beyond caring "Inu...yasha..." Kagome let loose an angry growl. "You'd kiss her...but not me..." She turned and walked from the scene of the crime.

Inuyasha looked up from the kiss when Kagome's familiar sweet smell entered his nose. *Kagome? She's back?*   
Kikyou smiled breathlessly up at him. "Wow..."   
"I gotta go." He said, turning away from her, feeling guilty for reasons he couldn't explain. "I have to go hunt for the Shikon no Tama." Before she could blink, he jumped up and sprinted away.

Kagome stood, her pack on, wearing a pair of bicycle shorts and a tank top. When Inuyasha finally made his appearance, she didn't look at him, barely acknowledging his presence. "Hmph." She looked in the opposite direction. "Are you ready to go yet?" He asked, feeling the curiously guilty feeling return.   
"Do I look ready?!" She snapped. "Get a move on Inuyasha, I got some pent out anger to take out."   
Miroku looked a bit worried. "Kagome-sama...are you sure, last week you were in pretty bad shape." Kagome smiled at him. "Are you worried about me?"   
He nodded.   
Her smile brightened. "Thank you, Miroku."   
Inuyasha almost freaked. * 'Miroku?!' What the hell happened to the sama?!*   
Kagome glanced at him. "Can we go now?" He nodded, feeling a bit awkward. *When did she start being so cold towards me? She couldn't have seen...THAT...could she?*   
Kagome hung back, talking to Miroku and Sango. Her voice was soft enough not to be heard by him, just a soft murmer. Only soft peals of laughter rang out in the field. She didn't look at Inuyasha, nor did she talk to him, except for the normal questions.   
That night, he approached her while she was deep in conversation with Miroku. "Kagome, could I have a word with you?" He kept his normal, feral look on his face.   
Kagome glared at him. "Maybe I don't want to talk to you." He frowned. "What the hell did I do?"   
She looked to Miroku. "Let me demonstrate." She grabbed Miroku's face, and kissed him, hard and passionate.   
Inuyasha's jaw hit the dirt. "K-k-k-kagome!" She pulled back, leaving a Miroku with an incredible goofy look on his face.   
"Familiar?!" She demanded.   
"You...saw?" He paled. "How...when?"   
She didn't answer his questions. Just stood up and walked away. When she was a good distance from the camp, whe sank to the ground, feeling anger and grief. *He didn't even realize I was there...*   
"Kagome..."   
Inuyasha's voice caused her to straighten. "Go away and leave me alone. I don't feel like dealing with your crap today."   
"Kagome!" He protested, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Cut it out!" She slapped his hand away. "You can't have your cake and eat it too." She said, looking at the ground, angry that he'd followed her.   
"Huh?"   
She glared up at him. "You can't try to protect both of us. So just go stay with Kikyou. You do love her, you don't love me." She said the last part very softly. As she did, a tiny tear slid from the corner of her eye and down her face.   
Inuyasha knelt beside her hesitantely. "Kagome, why are you so upset that I was kissing-" He stopped when she looked at him again. Her eyes were filled with tears and she had an incredibly sad look in her eyes. "I shouldn't have to say it." Her hands were clenched into tiny fists. "You should know how I feel."   
"Kagome..." He felt a tiny pain.   
"If you're so blind as to what I feel for you, what I've always felt for you, then maybe I'm better off with someone like Hojo." She hit the dirt. She faced him.   
>Twitch   
"You were oblivious, treating me like dirt!"   
>Twitch   
"You never gave a damn about me!"   
>Twitch   
"IT WAS ALWAYS EITHER THE SHIKON JEWEL OR KIKYOU!"   
>SNAP!   
"SHUT UP!"   
She jumped. "What?! Why should I?! I'm speaking the truth!" He grabbed her, kissing her hard. She gasped. *N-nani...o...* She put her hands on his chest pushing him away. "Yameru. It's too late." She whispered, moving from his arms. "It's too late."   
"Am I?" He stepped towards her. "You're right, I was oblivious. But you were also wrong. I did care-"   
She spun to face him. "IT'S TOO LATE!" She hissed. "You say you cared. Then why did you kiss her?!"   
"I honestly didn't think you were an option."   
She swallowed painfully. "Go away, Inuyasha. Go be with the one you really want." He took another step towards her. "Do you really think we could be together anyway?!" He grabbed her, shaking her slightly. "You are from another time! You would never give up your time for this one!"   
A tear streamed down her face. "You're hurting me..." She whispered, looking down at her bleeding arm. His claws were biting into her skin. His eyes widened and he released her. "Kagome...I-I'm sorry..."   
She turned away from him. "Go away. When we're done collecting the Shikon no Tama, I'm going home and staying there. I'm never coming back."   
He stood there a moment. "I-I guess it is your decision." He felt pain coursing through him. "I guess you're right. You can't have your cake and eat it too."   
She listened him walk away before bursting into tears. *Why...why does it have to be this way? Is it my families destiny? To lose the one you love?* She turned when she couldn't hear him anymore and watched his retreating form. *Sayonara...aisuru...*

Inuyasha lifted his nose to the air. *She couldn't even say it...* Her smell filled his nose and he bit his lip. *Kagome...* He climbed into a tree high above the camp, letting himself feel the pain. He didn't know why her shutting him out hurt him so much, but it did. *Am I cursed? Cursed to lose the ones I love to hatred? She never said she hated me...but if I were her...I'd hate me.*   
Kagome's form appeared from the tree and she curled up under her blanket. Her face was stained with bitter tears. She stared up at him and he down at her. Their eyes met and they felt the others pain. Pain of loss and unrequited love. They stared for a moment, before Inuyasha jumped down, landing next to her.   
He was silent for a moment, before he spoke. "I-um-Kagome, I'm sorry." He said softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."   
She touched her arms. "They'll be-" He held a finger to her mouth. "I didn't mean your arms." His curious finger traced her lips. "I...I don't want you gone." He chose his words carefully.   
She was quiet a moment, barely hearing his words. The finger upon her lips was driving her crazy. "I can't stay..." His face fell. "You...will leave...no matter what I do?"   
She nodded.   
"I don't want you gone." He pulled her against him, hugging her close. "I don't want to let you go!" She felt moisture soaking through her shirt. "Inuyasha...!" She pulled back, looking at his face and saw tears in his eyes. His brows were furrowed, his face pained.   
She brushed the tears away. "Why does it bother you so much? You never acted like you cared!" Her hands cradled his face, forcing him to look at her.   
"THAT'S YIFFIN BULL SHIT!" He hissed, his face becoming angry as well as pain. "I PROTECTED YOU LIKE NO ONE ELSE! I HATED IT WHEN YOU WERE GONE! I FELT LIKE I'D GO CRAZY EVERYTIME YOU WERE AWAY MORE THAN A DAY!" A tear ran down his face again. "I WAS ALWAYS WORRIED YOU'D BE ATTACKED AND GET KILLED! AND DAMMIT, I WAS JEALOUS TOO!"   
The words he said made her eyes gradually widen. "I don't understand why." She whispered. "Hojo may be nice, but what I feel for him...is NOTHING like I feel for you, NOTHING!" She pressed her face into his kimono, her arms going around his neck. He hesitantely lifted her face to his view. "You still haven't said how you feel."   
She felt a tear squeeze from her eye. "I love you, dammit. I always did." She whispered it, not daring to say it any louder. More tears fell from her eyes.   
He pulled her close, and hugged her tightly. "I-I love you." He whispered as well, feeling pain that she'd still leave. She held him tightly also, not wanting to let him go. "I wont let go." She promised, pressing her face into the crook between his neck and shoulder. His grip tightened, his claws biting into her slightly. "I wont let you go either. I swear it."   
She pulled back to look at him, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I believe you. You don't let go of things easily." She said, cupping his face in a soft hand. He smiled slightly. "That's right. I don't." He pulled her close, kissing her, gently. When he pulled away, she looked up at him, happily.   
"Get some sleep Kagome."   
She nodded. "Goodnight, Inuyasha."   
He smiled. "I guess it has been. Goodnight, Kagome." 


End file.
